Rotary engine



Patented Oct. 25, I898.

C. W. BOUTILIEB.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Wiigesses 13y 1 learxyzys,

No. 6I3,223. Patented Oct. 25, I898. C. W. BOUTILIEB.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Applicationfiled Sept. 4, 1897.) (N o M o d e I 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

670072218 B0 wither Wiigzsses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. BOUTILIER, OF BRITT, IOWA.

ROTARY ENGlN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,223, dated October25, 1898.

Application filed September 4:, 1897. Serial No. 650,594. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that LOHAELEs W. BOUTILIER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Britt, in the county of Hancock and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to rotary engines, and has for its object toprovide a simple and efficient construction and arrangement of partsadapted for adjustment with facility to reverse the direction ofrotation, and to provide a rotary engine of the sliding cam-actuatedabutment type wherein simple and efficient means for packing and forconcentrating the pressure of the motive agent upon the moving parts areemployed.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a rotaryengine constructed in accordance with my invention and showing in dottedlines the positions of the several ports and conductors. Fig. 2 is asectional view taken parallel with and in the plane of the axis of thepiston. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of the piston. Fig. 4 isa similar View of one of the cylinderheads to show theabutment-actuating cam carried thereby. Fig. 5 is a plan View, partly insection. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one of theexhaust-controlling slides and contiguous parts on the line 6 6 of Fig.1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The casing l of the engine embodying my invention is mounted upon asuitable base 2 and is of sectional construction divided upon amid-line, the members or sections being connected by suitable boltsengaging contacting flanges, and mounted in suitable bearings in theheads of the cylinder thus formed is the shaft 3 of the rotary piston 4.This piston is provided with a coaxial hub 5 and a concentric rim 6,which is equal in lateral projection to the hub from the plane of theweb 7, which forms the body portion of the piston. The peripheral rimand the hub prefcrably project equally upon opposite sides of the planeof the Web to form opposite steamcha-mbers, in which operate the movingabutments or wings 8. These moving abutments arefltted terminally inalined grooves 9 and 10, formed, respectively, in the hub and rim of thepiston, and operate in radial slots 11, registering with said grooves,whereby each abutment is adapted to occupy a position spanning either ofthe steam chambers or spaces, and hence to receive actuating-pressureupon either side of the plane of the web.

In order to secure the accurate rotary movement of the piston, Ipreferably provide it with a central peripheral rib 12, fitted in across-sectionally-coextensive groove in the in ner surface of the casingor cylinder, and thereby interlocking the parts to prevent eitherendwise displacement or vibratory movement of the piston.

Arranged upon the opposite heads of the cylinder are segmentalapproximately semicircular enlargements 13, approximately equal inprojection with the rim and hub of the piston beyond its intermediateweb and of a radial width equal to the interval between the periphery ofthe hub and the inner surface of said rim. Each of these enlargements isterminally beveled to form cam-faces 14., which also perform thefunctions of fixed abutments, respectively, according to the di rectionof rotation of the piston, and hence according to the points at whichthe motive agent isadmitted. The enlargements which terminally form thesaid fixed abutments are oppositely disposed upon the heads of thecylinder, and as each enlargement is approximately semicircular inlength it will be seen that as the piston rotates each moving abut mentor wing will be extended alternately beyond opposite sides of the Weband piston, remaining in each position approximately throughout one-halfof a revolution of the piston. Hence by placing feed-ports 15 in theenlargements, and preferably at the points of greatest projection ofsaid cam-faces or fixed abutments from the heads, and arrangingexhaust-ports 16 at intermediate points between the extremities of saidenlargements I am enabled to apply motive agent to each piston wing orabutment throughout onefourth of a revolution. Furthermore, by employingan uneven number of piston wings or abutments, preferably three, thisrelative disposition of feed and exhaust ports makes it impossible forthe piston to stop at such a point that at least one of said wings shallnot be wholly extended and hence wholly exposed to the pressure ofmotive agent admitted through either of the feed-ports.

Any suitable arrangement of conductors for conveying motive agent to theseveral feedports and from the several exhaust-ports may be employed,provided the diametrically opposite feed-ports are connected to receivemotive agent simultaneously, and in the construction illustrated Iemploy feedpipes 17 and 17 for connecting the throttle-valve casing 18,with the upper feed-port in one head and the lower feed-port in theother head, and employ feed-pipes 19 and 1!) for connecting the lowerfeed-port in the first-named head and the upper feed-port in thesecond-named head with said throttlcwalve casing. The feed-pipes 17 and17 communicate with a common feed-port in the throttle-vah'e cas ing,whereby steam or other motive agent is communicated simultaneously tothe diametrically opposite feed-ports of the cylinder, and hence isapplied in the same direction to the piston wings or abutments atopposite sides of the web of the piston.

Any suitable system of exhaust-valve mechanism may be employed, thatwhich I have illustrated consisting of segmental slides 20, seated inthe inner surfaces of the cylinderheadsaud arranged terminallycontiguous to the exhaust-ports, and I prefer to connect said slideswith the throttle-valve or reversing-lever 21, by which the direction ofapplication of motive agent is controlled. In order to prevent backpressure of the motive agent, I preferably arrange packing-strips 22 onthe outer edges of the enlargen'ients contiguous to the beveled facesthereof, said strips being spring-actuated to bear against the innersurfaces of the projecting portions of the piston-rim.

From the above description it will be seen that each piston wing ormoving abutment is devoid of springs or other actuating devicesdependent upon tension, each being positively reversed in position byfixed cam-faces and each cam-face being radially equal in length withthe wings or abutments.

Packing devices have been shown at various points, as in the ordinarypractice, to prevent escape and loss of pressure; but it is obvious thatother equivalent means may be substituted therefor and that variousother changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the SpllLlt orsacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A rotary enginehaving a casing comprising oppositelypositioned sections or heads havinginwardly-extending connected flanges forming a cylindrical wall, arotary piston having a hub and a peripheral rim connected by a web, fromthe plane of which said hub and rim project in opposite directions, therim being in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall ofthe casing, the web being provided with a plurality of radial slots, andthe facing surfaces of the hub and rim with guide-grooves registeringrespectively with said slots at their opposite ends, approximatelysemicircular enlargements projecting inwardly from the casing sectionsor heads between the hub and flange of the piston, and arrangedalternately with relation to the path of the piston, and wings fitted toslide in said radial grooves of the piston,'with their outer and inneredges in thegrooves, respectively, of the rim and hub, and hence incontact with the casing only at their opposite side edges, substantiallyas specified.

2. A rotary engine having a casing comprising oppositely positionedsections or heads provided with inwaidly-extending connected flangeshaving registering rabbets to form an annular groove, a rotary pistonhaving ahub, a rim parallel with the hub having contact with the innersurfaces of the flanges of the casing-heads, an exterior rib 12 fittingin said annular groove, a web 7 connecting the hub and rim and arrangedbetween the side edges thereof, and in the plane of said rib 12, the webbeing provided with a plurality of radial slots, and the facing surfacesof the hub and rim with grooves registering with said slots respectivelyat the inner and outer ends thereof, and wings fitted to slide laterallyin said radial slots and arranged at their outer and inner edges in thegrooves, respectively, of the rim and hub, approximately semicircular,terminally cam-faced enlargements, projecting inwardly from the heads ofthe casing between the facing surfaces of said rim and hub of thepiston, and arranged alternately with relation to the path of thepiston-wings, and valve mechanism for controlling the admission andexhaust of motive agent, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES \V. BOU' ILlEPt.

\Vitn esses:

WEsLEY ALDRIDGE, WILLIAM E. BRADFORD.

